Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

One of the 'new' ST zines. Since re-runs have arrived on the scene, there have been a lot of zines popping out of nowhere to show off the never-ending and improving stream of Spock stories. Party one of two (I hope only two; people don't always finish these serials) is pretty good. It's my favorite in the issue. Another outstanding one is 'Miranda,' a beautiful story about Miranda Jones deciding to go to Vulcan. Of the new zines, this is my pick as a must for every ST fan. This issue is ditto'd, the next issue is said to be mimeo'd. [1]

Issue 2

Impulse 2 was published in November 1970 and contains 145 pages. The cover is by Stephen Day. Graphics by Jeff Hamill, Susan Wolfe, Liz Danforth, D. Carol Roberts, Barbie Marczak, and Stephen Day.

From the title page: "Published quarterly here and there and this time in the editor's very own apartment. Price: about a buck."

From the editorial:

This 'zine, perhaps, looks a bit short to you... and well, the truth being what it is, I'll have to admit that the zine is a little short. The post office managed to lose S.L. Anderson's story, part two of "Miranda.' but hopefully by Impulse 4, we will have discovered where they have hidden it. Therefore, all you who are receiving Impulse 3 by mail hereby have 25 cents credit toward a subscription to Impulse 4 to make up for this 'zine's shortness. Also, for our critics who FINALLY convinced me that 20 lb mimeo paper printed on both sides would be ever so much better than 16 lb paper printed on one side, I have news; I think it looks dreadful for this 'zine. So, it's back to the 'traditional' for the next time, finances not withstanding.

The Editors Warp Out (1)

T'Zorel by J. Lichtenberg, short story [Also in Kraith Collected #1] (3)

Issue 4

Impulse 4 was published in June 1971 and contains 109 pages. The pages of this fanzine are backwards, starting at 110 and work their way down to page 1. Art and graphics are by Liz Danforth, Jeff Hamill, D. Carol Roberts, Stephen Day, Mary H. Schaub, Jack Zavada, and Regina Marvinny.

Issue 5

front cover of issue #5, Jeff Hamill

back cover of issue #5, Jeff Hamill

Impulse 5 was published in August 1971 and contains 33 pages and was physically much smaller than the previous regular issues. (8.5 inches tall, 7 inches wide) Impulse 5 was notable for, among other things, chiefly for its format: This fanzine was one of the first offset fanzines in reduced format.

From the editor:

The essential shape of the face-of-the-universe is not 'beauty' as our Greek ancestors would have had us believe, or even 'form,' nor again 'logic' or 'mathematical formulae' as the people of the late 19th century concluded. The face of the system in to which we are born is the never-ending pattern of change: disorganization, synthesis, and integration. There is nothing existent in our universe that can be taken to be final... it would be dangerous also if Star Trek became such a focal point of fannish attention that the fans themselves were to remain Trekkers forever. As much as I admire Star Trek, I think this is a situation that must be avoided. Star Trek's faults in art, science and literature cannot be overlooked, nor excused, and they certainly do not give fandom any license to commit the same mistakes. But these faults can be learned from, and the basis of Star Trek improved. This zine will continue until it is outgrown, and then it will be thrown away for something better. But in the meantime, because Star Trek was an important development in science fiction, especially in science fiction as mass media, this zine will attempt to further the better side of that series.